HOUTHI ATTACKS DAMAGE RIYADH KINDERGARTEN, MEDICAL COMPLEX AS AIRPORT FLIGHTS DISRUPTED
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Agency Report
A kindergarten and a medical complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have been damaged by debris from an intercepted missile, as Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed attacks on the Saudi capital’s airport.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence agency confirmed the damage on Thursday but did not disclose whether there were casualties or provide further details.
Two witnesses also reported damage to an aircraft belonging to the national carrier, Saudia, at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, with cracks and holes visible in its fuselage.
A source briefed on the matter told AFP that three planes had sustained damage.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen’s civil war said earlier on Thursday that it had intercepted two missiles fired towards Riyadh.
However, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced three attacks on Riyadh airport, adding that the group had also launched missiles at an airport in Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait.
The Iran-backed group has repeatedly targeted Riyadh since the wider Middle East conflict intensified, vowing to strike critical infrastructure and disrupt Saudi airspace.
The frequency and scale of the attacks on the Saudi capital have been unprecedented during the eight months of wider regional conflict.
The Houthis have also threatened Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, warning workers to evacuate after striking a major refinery south of Riyadh days earlier.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest crude oil exporter and leads a military coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthis.
Explosions were heard across Riyadh on Thursday morning, prompting diplomats to shelter in their respective embassies, according to several diplomats who spoke to AFP.
Unlike during previous attacks, residents reportedly received no text alerts warning them of the danger.
Several international schools took precautionary measures, with at least one facility sending pupils to a basement for safety.
“My daughter called me,” one parent told AFP on condition of anonymity, describing her daughter as “completely distraught”.
Some companies in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District also evacuated staff, according to two people working in the business hub who spoke to AFP.
Flights at King Khalid International Airport were delayed or cancelled, according to information displayed for passengers.
The airport did not immediately acknowledge the disruption, issuing only a brief statement advising travellers to contact their airlines before heading there.
The United States urged its citizens in Saudi Arabia to “exercise heightened vigilance” following the attacks. US government employees now require “special authorisation” to use the Riyadh airport, according to the report.
Saudi authorities have repeatedly warned residents against sharing unauthorised images, videos or information about missiles, drones and their impacts, cautioning that violators could face legal consequences.
The renewed attacks come amid an escalation of fighting in Yemen, where the Houthis have intensified their campaign against the internationally recognised government after a four-year lull.
Last month, the group reportedly seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline in a rapid offensive, expanding its control beyond the capital, Sanaa, and other major population centres it has held since the conflict began in 2014.
Saudi Arabia’s military coalition intervened in 2015 to support the Yemeni government.
Government forces have since struggled to reverse the Houthi advance despite launching a counter-offensive aimed at recapturing strategic territory, including areas near a vital maritime route for global energy supplies.
Yemen’s government has claimed that its forces pushed Houthi fighters out of strategic areas along the Red Sea coast and the port city of Mocha. The Houthis, however, insist they continue to hold their positions.
The competing claims have not been independently verified, with the situation changing rapidly and access for journalists remaining difficult.
The renewed conflict has also worsened Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. United Nations data indicate that more than 200,000 people have been displaced since July, while much of the country’s population depends on humanitarian assistance.
The Houthis have also seized areas south of Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, reportedly cutting it off from the government’s temporary capital, Aden, and contributing to shortages and rising food and energy prices.
AFP
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